Improvement in earth-closets



B. L. KEN?.

Earth Closets.

Patented lan. 16, 1872.

No."1v22,727.

n'gfl.

BENJAMIN LUNDY KJENT, OF WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN EARTH-CLOSETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 122,727, dated January16, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN LUNDY KENT, of West Chester, in the countyof Chester and State of Pennsylvania,.have invented a new and valuableImprovement in Earth-Closets, and I do hereby declare that the followingis afull, clear, and exact description of the construction and operationof the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing making a part ofthis specication and to the letters and iigures of reference markedthereon.

Figure l of the drawing is a representation of a vertical section of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of lid.

This invention has relation to certain improvements in the earth-closetdescribed in the patent of W. H. Newton, dated September 27, 1870; andit consists in the' construction and novel arrangement of the inclinedboards in the reservoir-cover, whereby all the available space isutilized. It also consists in the devices whereby the heavy hingedreservoir may be raised by treadle-leverage, and in the construction andnovel arrangement of the guides or braces whereby the supporter isbrought to the ground always in vertical position.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates this invention, Arepresents the seatbox, of rectangular form, containing the bucket B andprovided with a movable seat, C. D indicates the box or reservoir, whichserves as a cover for, and is hinged to, the seat-box A. F represents apost hinged to the back of the lid D near the top. When the lid isthrown up this post is designed to become a support therefor.

In the above description I have referred in general terms to theexternal parts which are common to my earth-closet and that of Newtonabove referred to. I will now describe my improv ements.

The lid being of rectangular form, the primary object which I have hadin view is an arrangement of inclined boards which will occupy as smallan amount of space as possible and will, at the same time, form chutesproperly adapted for the purpose of guiding the sand or earth, throughthe vibratory movement of the lid, from the reservoir to thedischargingoriiice G. I have, therefore, constructed the parallelinclined boards I Il and arranged the same so that they shall extendupward and rearward from the orice G, one of said boards, Il, beingshorter than its fellow, and both extending entirely across the fullwidth of the box, forming the lid. Between these boards I I1 are fittedthe narrow strips I2, extending in an oblique manner from each side ofthe box to each end of the orifice G. Hence it is apparent that thereceiving end of the discharging-chute is as wide as the breadth of thereservoir will admit. Therefore the diiference between the heights ofthe boards I and I1 need `be but small, as but little distance isrequired between the board and the top of the lid to admit quite a largecharge to the dischargingchute. By this method of construction all thespace within the walls of the lid is utilized except thel space in rearof the board I. I am, therefore, enabled to form a receiver of greatcapacity without exceeding but little the dimensions of the rectangularbox which would be required to hold the same amount of earth. The lid israised by means of a treadle-lever, E', which rocks upon a curvedfulcrum-block, Z, secured in the lower part of anarrow chamber, z',which is partitioned off from the main chamber of the seat-box A. Thefront end of this lever projects through a slot in the front of theseat-box, and its rear end is pivoted to a connecting-rod, E, which ispivoted at its upper end to the reservoir-lid. The connectingrod Epasses through a short slot in the top of the seat-box. The length ofthis slot is such that the connecting-rod has easy play, and the levermoves upon the fulcrum-block with a sliding motion, the treadle endmoving vertically up and down, and not in the arc of a circle. The formof the curved fulcrum-block is such that the operating-arm of the leveris very long in comparison with the rear arm during the iirst part ofthelifting operation, the length of the arms being relatively changed afterthe heavy part of the work is performed, the operatingarm becoming veryshort, when the reservoirlid becomes poised on its center of gravity, asbut little force is then needed to move it.

represents the supporting-post, which is hinged to the back of thereservoir-lid near its upper part. This post is designed to swing backwhen the lid is raised, and morder that it shall lswing back just farenough to come into vertical position under the lid when the latterreaches its highest position, the pivoted guide-rod F F is provided,said rod being pivoted at its center to the post F and hinged at eachend to the rear Wall ofthe boX A. Bythis arrangement no danger need everbe apprehended from disarran gement ofthe supporting-bar. It must cometo the proper position whenever the lid is raised. L represents thetapering cover or slide, which is provided to close the opening in thefront of' the reservoir-lid through which the sand or earth isintroduced.

I claim as my inventionl. In the hinged earth-closet lid D, thearrangement ofthe parallel inclined guide-boards I I1,extending entirelyacross the breadth ofthe reservoir-chamher, and of the inclined slipsI2,

